I Don't Care Anymore by Phil Collins

Album: Hello, I Must Be Going! (1982)

Charted: 39

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In this song, Phil Collins takes out his frustrations over his divorce from his first wife, Andrea Bertorelli.

His first solo album was Face Value released in 1981 shortly after their split. Some of the tracks on that album, notably "In The Air Tonight" and "If Leaving Me Is Easy," find him expressing the misery he felt going through the ordeal. For his next album, Hello, I Must Be Going!, he took a different tack.

"I was getting letters from lawyers asking for unbelievable things," Collins told Rolling Stone.

This made him bitter and resigned to put it behind him (he had already begun dating Jill Tavelman, who would become his second wife), and in this song, he makes it clear that even though he's being dragged through the mud, he doesn't care anymore.
Collins repeats "no more" 17 times in the outro to this song, making it seem like he's trying a little too hard to convince us that he really doesn't care.
Collins' first wife Andrea couldn't stand it when her ex-husband released songs like this one laying bare their troubles. Her side of the story is that Collins had a "short fuse and preference for arguing," and that he left to tour right after their second child was in 1976, choosing his career over his family.

Speaking with the Daily Mail in 2015, she said, "When I asked him to stop talking and writing songs about our relationship he said he had 'the artistic licence to write about whatever he wanted.' Basically he was making too much money out of his divorce to worry about my feelings or his children's feelings."
This is one of four Phil Collins songs (along with "Take Me Home," "In The Air Tonight" and "Long, Long Way to Go") that were used in the TV series Miami Vice. Collins also appeared on the show, playing a drug dealer in the 1985 episode "Phil the Shill."

Comments: 7

Bodie from 35178Bamhgms hit the nail right on the head! "I thought I knew what a narcissist was and didn't realize for many, many years that I was married to one." 23 years and 5 kids passed after the day I sat in my car at the church with the Holy Spirit telling me to just drive away...but I was too weak or stupid or both, thinking that marriage would make things all better. This song score a direct hit on the release I felt when I finally walked away for good...with the understanding and encouragement of our children. "Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife."
Proverbs 21:19 NIV
Sean from Atlanta, GaThis is a song that'll make a guy like myself realize that he's better off single. I love Hellyeah's version, it's just as good.
Fed Up With Back Stabbing, Lying, Rotten, Evil Familymembers from Laporte In 46350I totally agree with Groovus Maximus! When I see & hear Phil belting out those words with the absolute sincerity of how he truly feels, that he is beyond "Fed Up!", it empowers me to move forward. This song can pertain to anyone in your life who you just cannot take any more crap from, even sadly, a family member. It has become my daily listen to song and theme song. It unloads all the negativity out of me as I'm singing right along with him!
BamhgmsI am married to a full blown narcissist and recently with help I realized what it really meant and the true abuse I was going through.... this song lays it out perfectly when you come to that realization. I thought I knew what a narcissist was and didn't realize for many, many years that I was married to one. Do the research and it will all make sense. Good luck.
Curious Crab from Toronto this song is very close to my heart 4 Many reasons. I had told someone that I was dating That I Only played this song When I was breaking up with someone, When I knew it was Truly Over! Well he came home unexpectedly AND Guess What Was playing ON the turntable?-Chuckling-
Jon from Usa Truely resonated with me ,having just going through divorce,she left me.i was forced out of my.house 3x,that house was built by my favorite song of all time, follow you follow me,over a 31yr marriage,and a serious relationship beginning at age 16,this is my and was her favorite song of all time,I still listen to very often,and yes I've been to lots of therapy
Groovus Maximus from Boston, MaTragically underrated song, truly one of Phil's absolute best... The tune couldn't end any other way, btw, and it's not so much the lyric, but the timing and the tension & release of this work of genius -- he's not "trying too hard to convince us," it's just the feel of the song and, really, the only way it could have resolved -- PERFECT! Everything from the killer tribal beat to Phil's impassioned howls of anguish and the slinky, sinewy guitar working its way around the bed of keys just makes this an instant classic as it builds to a raging climax. Thanks, Phil and God bless you for all you've given us!

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